AEW President and CEO Tony Khan recently had a conversation with Forbes on WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon’s habit of ripping up the WWE RAW script on the day of the show or just hours before the show goes on the air as there has been a number of reports over the years that the WWE RAW script has been changed literally hours before the show. According to Tony Khan, if you were to have a show on Monday then it should have been written or finalized over the weekend and that he doesn’t do everything that is needed to be done, but he does make the final decision.
This is what Tony Khan said:
“To be honest, when I hear about somebody going in, and they have a TV show on Monday that they rip up. My first thought is, ‘what were you doing all weekend?’ Because I work my ass off on the weekends.” “I have to come in with a plan for Wednesday, and Friday night, I want to make sure Dynamite’s great, and Rampage.”
“So, I don’t do everything myself, but I do make the final decision on everything. I put the format together, I put an outline of what the show is going to be for Dynamite and Rampage, I write it by hand. I don’t understand why you’re going to come in and rip up a show that you have a pretty good idea of what it is. And you should have approved it, where Monday, we know what we’re doing.”
Tony Khan also talked about how things can certainly change on the day of Dynamite or Rampage, but he likes to known what is going to happen on the show next week and the week after.
This is what Tony Khan said:
“Things change on the day of the show, not that I never change my mind on the day of, I do.” “Not where I am going to change everything, I might change one or two things around on instinct or because something happened. But, for the most part, I like to have a good idea of what is going to be on the show next week, and the week after. I really believe that the fans like that we try our best not to insult their intelligence.”
Tony Khan then talked about how he doesn’t want to control everything AEW talents say on their promos during their shows as he wants to make everything more compelling and even though everyone in the AEW roster has their own approach and philosophies, there is still a certain aspect or tone of the shows, which must be followed, but that is why he believes their interviews as well as their storytelling in promos are really strong.
This is what Tony Khan said:
“I do try to make the shows compelling, and also logical.” “I think that’s also one of the challenges, because a lot of times people come to you with ideas, and it’s hard because everyone has got their own approaches and their own philosophies. But, there’s a tone to the show. So, I really just want people to go out and make the points, and keep the stories going. I’m not so autocratic that I want to control every word somebody says on television. I think that’s also why some of our interviews, our storytelling in promos are really strong, I believe.”
You can check out Tony Khan’s comments in the video below:
